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Sensors For Robots: An Overview
Sensors For Robots: An Overview
An overview
Václav Hlaváč
Czech Technical University in Prague
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Department of Cybernetics
Czech Republic
http://cmp.felk.cvut.cz/~hlavac
Courtesy to several authors of presentations on the web.
Lecture outline
2
Obstacle detection
Where is the cropline?
5
Autonomous harvesting
Where am I ?
6
To control our
limbs, we need
feedback on
where they are.
Muscle spindles
(svalové
vřeténko).
Pressure
sensors in skin.
Pacinian corpuscle –
transient pressure response
Sensors, feedback in muscles
14
To control our
limbs we need
feedback.
Muscle spindles
• where: length
• how fast: rate of
stretch
Golgi tendon
organ
• how hard: force
Neuron firing, example
15
Proprioception
Some aquatic invertebrates 16
A simple switch
electrical flow
force voltage
measurement
Tilt sensor
19
One-directional reed
switch.
Omni-directional reed
switch.
Photoresistor.
Photodiode.
Differential photodiode.
Phototransistor.
Photoresistor example
Thermal sensor
26
Thermal resistor
(thermistor)
example
Proximity sensors
27
Non-contact.
Devices that can be
used in areas that are
near to an object to be
sensed.
Types:
• Photocells.
• Capacitance sensors.
• Inductive sensors.
Photocells
28
Emitters LEDs,
receivers
phototransistors.
Diffuse mode
photosensor.
Retro-Reflective
Photosensors.
Thru-beam detectors.
Inductive proximity sensors
29
Generate an electrostatic
field.
Consists of probe,
oscillator, feliciter filter,
output circuit.
In absence of a target, the
oscillator is inactive.
An approaching target
raises capacitance, which
triggers the oscillator.
Capacitive sensors, use example
31
Potenciometer
Resolver
Optical Encoders
• Relative position
• Absolute position
Wheel / motor encoders
33
decode
light emitter circuitry
grating
A diffuser tends to
smooth these signals
Ideal Real
Optical encoders 2
35
• Relative position
- direction
light sensor
- resolution
decode
light emitter circuitry
grating
Optical encoders 3
36
• Relative position
- direction
light sensor
- resolution
decode
light emitter circuitry
grating
A
A lags B
B
B
Optical encoders 4
37
• Relative position
- direction
light sensor
- resolution
decode
light emitter circuitry
grating
Phase lag between A and B is 90
degree
A
B A leads B
Optical encoders 5
38
• Detecting absolute position
something simpler ?
Optical Encoders
39
• Detecting absolute position
wires ?
Gray code
40
# Binary
0 0 000
1 1 001
2 10 011
3 11 010
4 100 110
101 111
5
110 101
6
111 100
7
1000
8
1001
9
among others...
Resolver
41
Webster dictionary
definition:
The determination without
the aid of celestial
observations of the position
of a ship or aircraft from the
record of the courses sailed
or flown, the distance
made, and the known or
estimated drift.
Compass
44
By virtue of Newton’s
second law (F = ma) a
sensor may be made to
sense acceleration by
simply measuring the force
on a mass.
Sensing force:
• Magnetic.
• Capacitive.
• Piezoelectric.
Gyroscope
47
No torque can be
transmitted from
the outer pivot to the
wheel axis.
Spinning axis will
therefore be
space-stable.
The gyroscope was invented
Quality: approx. 0.1° in 6 by Jean Bernard Léon
hours. Foucault, a French physicist, in
1852. He originally began
studying medicine but gave
that up as he was afraid of
blood!
Electronic gyroscope
50
Sagnac effect.
Laser beam traveling
in direction of rotation
has a slightly shorter
path -> shows a higher
frequency.
Difference in frequency
∆f of the two beams is
proportional to the
angular velocity.
Ground-Based Beacons
52
Active, passive.
Human use beacon-
based navigation.
• Natural beacons
(landmarks) like
stars, mountains or
the sun
• Artificial beacons like
lighthouses.
Used often indoors.
Outdoors GPS.
Global Positioning System
53
1 satellite = distance.
2 satellites = intersection
of two spheres.
3 satellites = circle.
≥ 4 satellites = unique
solution.
Precision up to a few
meters.
Real-time differential GPS
54
Correction with respect to a base station with
known position.
Improved location accuracy, from the 15 m
nominal GPS accuracy to about 10 cm for the
best implementations.